Loading and unloading apparatus



N. T. HARRINGTON LOADING AND UNLQADING APPARATUS Filed May 6,

1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jfily 22 1924.

. 1,501,999 N. T. HARRINGTON LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS JZ/ys Jul 22 924.

N. T. HARRINGTON LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed May 6 1920 1,501,999 N. T, HARRINGTON LOADING 'AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Fi led May 6, 1920. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 22 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,501,999 PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN '1. HARRINGTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO;

LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 6, 1920. Serial No. 379,377.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, NORMAN T. HARRING- ToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Loading and Unloading Apparatus, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description,

. reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to systems for handling loads, and more particularly to a elevation of one. of the towers shown in Fig.

system embodying two towers supporting a cable-way for a load-handling device and capable of being rocked simultaneously about their respective pivots in order to enable the load-handling device to operate upon-material covering a wide area. A system of this type is disclosed in my application No. ,123 filed January 26, 1.920.

It is the general purpose and object of this invention to operate the towers in a particularly eflicient manner; also to render the system safe in operation and especially,

1, the view corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 an elevation of one of the towers taken from the opposite side of the same from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail in elevation of the lower part of the main or hoist tower; 5 is a sectional detailof said tower corresponding substantially to the line 55 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 a detail in elevation and Fig. 7 a detail in plan of the upper portion of such tower; Fig. 81 is a detail in elevation of the base of the auxiliary or tail tower; Figs. 9 and 10 are details in elevation'and in plan, respectively, of theupper end of the last mentioned tower; Fig. 11 a detail in perspective; '12 ,a detail in elevation of the brake mechanism for thetower rocking drums {and Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of a detailrj' .Describing the parts by. reference characters, 1 denotes" the main tower 1 the;

auxiliary tower,the two towers being substantially identical in construction The" towers are angularly movable about a horizontal axis and are provided with mechanism for'tilting them in unison.

While there is, of course, considerable latioperating the towers as a singlemeohanical tudein the selection of mechanical detail ,for

5 a unit, the drawings represent what-; I-'have-- found to be a-particularly advantageous arrangementwhich I consider as the preferred I form. 4

The towers terminate at the bottomiin' bearing lugs 68?. While the lugs 6830f tower 1 have journals 68 revolubly supported in bearings '68, the lugs 68 of tower- 1 are mountedupona shaft 2; V v

The means for tilting the towers includea pinion 16 in mesh with a segmental rack 17.; Power is transmitted to the pinion 16 on and 5 to ashaft 2 extending throughthe journals 68 then from shaft 2 throughtower 1 from a motor 3 through gears 4 beveled gears 6 and 7,,shaft 8, bevel gears 9 and 10 to a shaft 12 and from shaft 12 through bevel gears 13 and 14: to shaft -15 carrying thepinion 16;

The shaft 12 whi h has been interposed between shaft 15 and shaft 2 to provide;;.'-

means for conveniently translating-theme; tion of the motor 3 to tower 1 to tilt it in unison with tower 1 carries a drum 11 about which are wrapped in opposite directions cables 18 and 18 'The cablesextend from drum 11 over sheaves 19 at the top of tower 1 and sheaves 19 at the top of tower li ,to a

drum '11 mounted upon a shaft 12; The

shaft 12 in turn is connected through-gears 13 and 14 to a shaft 15 which -carries a pinion 16 in mesh with a rack 17, the ar: I

range-ment being the same as on tower 1.

hen the mtor 3 is operated, the two towers will thus be tilted in unison in one direct'ion or the other according to the direc! tion of rotation of the motor which is subject to control.

with a counter weight 20 mounted'in vertical guide-ways'21" and connected each to .its

Each of the towers isshown as provided tower at a point above the centerof gravity thereof and of its load, Ipreferablynear the. top of such tower (see Figs. 1 and 2). For the purpose of connecting each, counter weight to its tower, I employ 'a cabl'e '22 which isfconnected at its lowerf end to' the a track for the cable 22 as well as with tracl'r'or-h groove for a cable 28, the upper end of each cable 28 being connected to its sheave segment and the lower end thereof extending beneath the opposite sheave segment and being secured to a projection 29 thereon. By this manner of connecting the sheave segments, the rocking of either ofsuch segments by the cable 22 will cause the other sheave segment to rock in unison therewith. One of the towers is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 at one extreme of its rocking movement and in dotted lines in the other extreme position as well as in a vertical position. The construction and arrange ment of the parts 20-29 inclusive is described, illustrated and claimed in my application No. 354,123, referred to herein before.

30 denotes a cable-way which is connected at one end to the tower 1, as indicated at 31, and at its other end to the tower I as by means of a tackle having its movable block 32 connected to the said cable-way and its fixed block 33 connected to the upper end ofthe tower l' Mounted upon the cable-way is a carriage 34 supporting a bucket 35. This bucket will be provided with the usual hoist, opening, closing and travel lines, the towers being provided with sheaves 36 and 37 for such lines, and one of the lines being indicated at 38. These lines will be operated in any convenient manner, and illustration of the same and of the operating means will be unnecessary for an understanding of the invention disclosed herein. As in the case of the system shown in my prior application, each tower is provided with a guy 39 which is connected thereto at its upper end, the lower end of each guy being connected to a horizontal pivot 40 which is in line with the tower pivots, whereby the effective lengths of the guys are not altered by reason of therocking of the towers.

In order to render the towers safe in operation, preventing the falling of the tail tower through the parting of either rocking cable as well as the falling of either tower through over balancing, the following construction is provided:

The sheaves 19 are mounted in frames or brackets 41. Each of these frames or brackets is mounted on a vertically extending stud by the tension of its cable 18 within a slot 43 provided within a horn or projection is: secured to the upper end of the tower. The lower end of each peg or stud is mounted upon a shaft 45 which is supported by its tower. 4C6 denotes a pair of rods, located on opposite sides of the top of each tower and each pivoted at its inner end to an arm 47 of a bell crank lever having its shaft 47 pivoted to the tower at 48. Each rod &6 is provided with an eye 49 through which its cooperating pin or stud 42 extends. Mounted on the outer end of each rod 46 is an abutment 50 between which and the adjacent face of the tower a helical spring 51 is inter posed. These springs tend to pull the rods 46 outwardly but, their initial strain or compression being less than the strain normally exerted upon and by their respective cables 18, they are ineffective to rock the pins or studs and their respective bell crank levers. The arm 52 of each bell crank lever is connected preferably through a downwardly extending link 53 to one end of a lever 53 which is pivotally supported between its ends as by an eye in a strap 54. The other ends of the levers 53 have slots 53 through which extends a bolt whereby the levers 53 may have an overlapping sliding motion relatively to each other. WVith this arrange ment of parts, the rocking of either bell crank lever by its spring 51 will result in the rocking of the lever 53 connected thereto. The arrangement of levers and the straps 54 is such that a rise of the inner end of the lever 53 in the manner referred to merely lifts the bolt 55 and the other lever 53 with out afl ecting the bell crank lever connected to the latter.

Extending downwardly from the connected ends of the lever arms 53 and connected to the bolt 55 is a rod 56. The lower end of this rod (see Figs. L and 8) is provided with an elongated eye 57 by means of which it is connected to one arm 58 of an angle lever, the opposite arm 59 of whlch is provided with a hook or latch 60 adapted to enthe end of one arm 61 of a lever, pivoted at 62. The opposite arm 63 of the last mentioned lever is subjected to the compression of a spring 64 mounted on a bolt 6% to depress the arm 63 and lift the arm 61. The extrei'nc inner end of the lever arm 58 is connected to a rod 65 which is provided at its lower end with a roller 66 adapted to operate upon one of the cylindrical bearing hubs 68 in which the pivots 2 and 2 are j ournalcd. In order to maintain the rod 65 in a vertical position, a link 65 is connected to the same and to one of the side faces of the tower-supporting bracket 1". On each side of the hub 68 is a shoe 69 which, when either tower is rocked to a predetermined extent, will be engaged by its roller 66, thereby to. rock the angle or hell crank lever luu . by means of which a connection between theto which the rod is connected and disengage the hook or latch from the lever arm 61. The spring 64 will then rock the lever 61, 63 and, through connections to be described, apply a brake, indicated at 70, to its drum 11 I Thelever 5859 will also be operated't-o release the'lever 61, 63 should either of the cables 18 break. When this happens, the tension of the appropriate spring 51 will be sufiicie'nt to move its peg 42 rearwardly, thereby rocking the appropriate bell crank lever arm 52 and,through the upward movement of the inner end of the lever arm 53, pull upwardly upon the rod 56, thereby tripping the lever 58, 59 and enabling the spring 64 to apply the brake to the drum.

Each tower will be provided with the safety mechanism hereinbefore described, and the parts of the tail tower corresponding to those of the hoist tower will be desig nated by like reference numerals. The man-- ner in which the brake band is applied to the rocking drum of each tower will now be described.

71 denotes a brake rod having an eye 72 rod and the lever arm 63 is secured, as by means of a pin 73 carried by said armand extending through said eye. Each brake rod is connected at its upper end to a pair of plates 74, 75, as by means of a pin 76*. Each plate is provided at the end opposite the said connection with an upward extension T P, v respectively, each provided with a journal 76, 77, for a stud 7 8 the outer ends of which are mounted in slots 80 in a pair of plates 79. Between the journals 76, and 7'? the stud is provided with a spacing sleeve 7 8. 81 denotes a bolt extending through the plates 7 1 and 7 5 beneath the journals 7 6 and T7 and supporting a block 82 through which extends a bolt 83 having its other end journaled upon a stud 84 and mounted in slots 80 in the opposite ends of the plates 79 from the slots 80. One end of a brake band 70 is connected to the stud 78 by means of journals 86 and the opposite end of said band is connected to the stud 84 by similar journals 86 The plate 7 5 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 75 to which a spring 86 connected, the opposite end of said springbeing connected to a rigid member 87 of the tower, as by means of an eye bolt 88, The end of the brake band which is connected to the stud 84l lis-provided with an abutment89adapted to be engaged by the end of a screw 90 which ex-- tends through a block 91 j ournaled in a pair of frame members 92 beneath saidband, as indicated at 93. The 'plates 7 9 are anchored to member 92 and 92 secured to the as by rivets 79 By the construction described, when one of tl re rocking jrcables breaks, the springs51 tower,

pable of operating promptly and efiiciently upon eachdrum irrespective of the direction in which it may be rotated and a brake band may be employed which is practically coextensive with the exterior of the drum with which it cooperates and which will en- V l gage such surface throughout its full length. Furthermore, should the towers be rocked further than desirable in either direction, therollers 66 and rod 65 will unlatch the hook 60 from the lever 61 and the brakes will also be applied to the tower drums 11. i t

It is desirable that, when the brakes are applied, the action of the motor on the drum should be suspended. This is conveniently accomplished by extending the lever arm 68 to form one member 63 of a knife-blade switch, the other member of which is indicated at 94. These switch members are in the circuit of the motor 3 and are provided with conductors 95 and 96 leading to said motor, so that, when the switch members 62 and 94: are separated by the appropriate spring 64 in the hoist tower, the motor circuit will be opened, and the rotation of the shaft 2 will be discontinued, automatically suspending the rocking of the hoist tower by the gears 13, 1 1, 16 and the gear segment 17.

In addition to the automatic means for applying the brake to the drum of the hoist tower, I provide means for applying the said brake by hand. -For this purpose, the eye 72 in the rod 71 is elongated and the rod is extended below the lever arm 63 and provided with an elongated eye 72*. This 1, The combination, with a pair of angularlyvmoving towers, a cabl eway extend Ill) veye receives apin 97 carried by one arm 98 e ingbetween and supported by said towers 5 and .a load handling device on 'said.cable-.

way, of means includinga drum for rockingioneof said towers, a drum in the other tower,- .cables connecting sa d drums, a shaft,

means for driving the same, connections between said shaft and the drum of the first mentioned tower, a brake for each drum, means operated by the rocking of each tower for applying the brake to its drum when such tower shall have been rocked to a predetermined extent from a vertical position, nieans operative by the breaking of either of said cables for applying said brakes to said drums, and means operated by the rocking of the towers and by the breaking of either of said cables for making the driving connections between said shaft and the first mentioned drum inoperative.

2. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means for rocking one of said towers, connections for rocking the other tower from the first mentined tower, a brake for the rocking means of each tower, means operated by the rocking of each tower for applying the brake to its rocking means when such tower shall have been rocked to a predetermined extent from a vertical position, means operated by the breaking of such. rocking connections for applying the said brakes, and means operated by the rocking of the towers and by the breaking of such rocking connections for suspending the operation ofthe means for rocking the first mentioned tower.

3. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for angularly moving one of the said towers, a drum for the other tower, a brake for each of said drums, cables leading from the drum on the first tower to the drum on the second tower and normally held in one position by the pressure exerted by the cable, movably supported sheaves for the said cables carried by each tower, means tending to move said sheaves against said pressure, a rod connected to the brake for each tower, a lever to which each rod is connected, means tending to move each lever in a direction to apply the brake with which its rod is connected, a latch for retaining each lever against operation, andconnections between each sheave and the latch of each tower for releasing the said latch through the movement of the sheave.

4. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for angularly moving one of the said towers, a drum for the other tower, a brake on each of said drum spcables leading from the drum on the first tower to the druna on the second tower,

way, of means including a drum for angu- I larly moving one of the said towers, a drum for the other tower, a brake for each 01 said drums, cables leading from the drum on the first tower to the drum on the second tower, movably supported sheaves for the said cables carried by each tower, normally inoperative means tending to move said sheaves,- a rod connected to the brake for each tower, a lever to which each rod is connected, means tending to move each lever in a direction to apply the brake with which its rod is connected, a latch for retaining each lever against operation, a shaft for rotating the drum of the first tower, and means operative by the brake rod in said tower for breaking the driving connections between said shaft and said drum.

6. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cablewa-y extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for angularly mov ing one of the said towers, a drum for the other tower, a brake on each of said drums, cables leading from the drum on the first tower to the drum on the second tower, movably supported sheaves for the said cables carried by each tower, normally in operative means tending to move said sheaves, a lever supported by each tower, means connecting each lever to the brake for its tower, means tending to move each lever in a direction to apply its brake, a latch for retaining each lever against operation, means for rotating the drum of the first tower, and means operative by the lever in said tower' for suspending the operation of the drum rotating means.

7. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers, and a load handling device on said cableway, of means for rocking one of said towers, connections for rocking the other tower from the first mentioned tower, brake mech anism carried by each tower for limiting the rocking movement thereof, means operative by the rocking of each tower for applying the brake mechanism thereto, and means operated by the rocking of the first mentioned tower for automatically suspending the-operation of its rocking means when -sa1d tower-has been rocked a predetermined distance from the vertical.

8; The combinatiom-with a pair of angu- I larly moving towers, ofa cableway extendingbetween and supported by said towers T and a load handling device on said cableway, of means for rocking one of said;

towers, connections for rocking the other tower from the first mentioned tower, brake mechanism carried by each tower for limiting the rocking movement thereof, and means operative by the rocking of each tower for applying the brake mechanism thereof.

9. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for rocking one of said towers, a drum in the other tower, cables connecting said drums, means for driving the drum in the first mentioned tower, a brake for each drum, means operated by the rocking of said towers for applying said brakes when thesaid towers have been rocked to a predetermined extent from a vertical position, and means operated by the breaking of either of said cables for applying said brakes to said drum.

10. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for rocking one of said towers, a drum in the other tower, cables connecting said drum, means for driving the drum in the first mentioned tower, a brake for each drum, and means operated by the breaking of either of said cables for applying said brakes to said drums.

11. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers, and a load handling device on said cableway, of means including a drum for rocking one of said towers, a drum for the other tower, a brake for each of said drums, cables leading from the drum of the first tower to the drum of the second tower, movably supported sheaves carried by each tower for the said. cables, normally inoperative means tending to move said sheaves, and connections between each of the sheaves of each tower and the brake for the drum thereof.

l2. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, means for rocking one of said towers, means including a cable for rocking the other tower from the first tower, a movably supported sheave carried by the first tower for the said cable, normally inoperative means tending to. move saidsheave, and; a connection between said sheave and themeansfor rocking the first tower whereby the tower-rocking means is suspended upon the breaking of said cable. Y 3 The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, acablewayvextending between and supported by said towers and a load. handlingdevice on said 'cableway,of means for rocking one of said towers, connections between said tower and the other tower for rocking the latter tower in unison with the former, and means for suspending the operation of the tower rocking means when either tower shall have been rocked a predetermined extent fro-m the vertical.

14. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers, and

a load handling device on said cableway, of 7 connections for rocking one ofsaid towers, connections between said tower and the other tower for rocking the latter tower in unison with the former, and means for suspending the operation of the tower rock-- ing means upon the breaking of the connections for rocking the second tower from the first tower.

15. The combination, with a pair of towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of a rocking support for each tower, a drum supported by each tower, a cable connected to each of said drums, a gear driven by the drum of each tower, a gear segment with which the gear of each tower meshes, and means for driving the drum of each tower.

16. The combination, with a pair of towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers and a load handling device on said cableway, of a rocking support for each tower, a shaft supported by each tower, a drum on each shaft, a pair of cables each connected to said drums, a gear on each shaft, a second shaft supported by each tower, means for driving the sec- 0nd shaft of each tower from the first shaft thereof, a gear on the second shaft of each tower, and a gear segment with which the last mentioned gear of each tower meshes.

17. The combination, with a pair of angularly moving towers, a cableway extending between and supported by said towers, and a load handling device on said cableway, of a shaft in each tower, a gear on each shaft, a gearsegment with which the gear on each shaft is adapted to mesh, means for driving the shaft of one of said towers, and connections whereby the movement of the last mentioned shaft will be transmitted to the shaft in the other tower.

18. The combination, with a tower, ofa

brake" fersuchvreeking means, abutments on opposite sides of said? sup ort, a device carried by said tewer and adapted to engage said abutn'ients, and connections between said device and'said brake for applying the latter upon the engagement of the said devi'cezwith either abutment.

19. The combination, with an angularly mowing tower, of means for rocking the NORMAN T. HARRINGTON. 

